Raffles Park Villas

Raffles Park Villas stands on Soukya Road in Whitefield, pincode 560067, on the east side of Bengaluru. The developer has not published distances to offices, stations, schools or hospitals, so none are quoted here. Treat any drive time a seller gives you as a claim to test yourself.

A villa in this part of the city usually means a car-first life. School runs, grocery trips and the commute will mostly go by road, so the real question is how long those trips take at your hours. Drive from the gate to your workplace on a weekday morning, then make the return run in the evening rush.

Inside the gate the picture is different. With only 61 homes spread over 15 acres, the internal roads carry little traffic, and children can cycle or walk to the courts and play area. Outside it, check the approach road, the lighting after dark and how far the nearest daily shops are, because none of these are listed.

Position inside the layout also changes daily life. Walk to the specific plot you are offered and see how close it is to the entrance, the boundary wall and the neighbouring homes. A plot near the gate is handy for visitors; one deeper inside is quieter.

Raffles Park Villas gives you a choice between four designs, all given as built-up area. Plumeria is about 6,412 sq ft and listed from Rs. 11.4 Crore. Canopia is about 6,660 sq ft from Rs. 11.8 Crore, Aquaria about 6,671 sq ft from Rs. 11.9 Crore, and Lumeria about 6,899 sq ft from Rs. 12.3 Crore. On Plumeria that is about Rs. 17,800 per sq ft, and Lumeria works out close to the same.

Bedroom counts, carpet areas and plot sizes are not published, so ask for the drawings of the exact home. Since these are finished houses, compare the home you are shown with its sanctioned plan. Any rooms added or walls moved by an earlier owner should be noted before you agree a price.

No GST applies to a finished home with its occupancy certificate. Stamp duty and registration apply to every purchase, and for a villa the duty is levied on the land plus the house. Ask for a cost sheet or a written offer that shows:

• Agreed price and the built-up and plot areas it covers
• Owners' association deposit and monthly maintenance
• Transfer fee, if the association charges one
• Any dues on power, water or tax to be cleared by the seller
• Stamp duty and registration on the full value

Raffles Park Villas has no RERA registration number published by the developer. You can ask Raffles Residency for it and search the Karnataka RERA website, rera.karnataka.gov.in. For a community handed over in December 2017, though, the papers that prove a clean purchase are the completion and ownership documents.

Most sales here will be resales, so the seller must show that the house is theirs to sell and that it matches its approvals. Ask for:

• Occupancy certificate for the villa
• Sanctioned building plan for the specific home
• Khata in the seller's name and the latest tax receipt
• The seller's registered sale deed and the earlier title chain
• Encumbrance certificate covering at least the last 13 years
• A no-dues letter from the owners' association

If the seller has a home loan on the house, the bank must release the original documents at closing, so ask how that will be handled. At handover you should receive the registered sale deed in your name, and then apply to move the khata and the power and water connections to yourself. Have a property lawyer read the title papers before you pay an advance.

Raffles Park Villas has only 61 homes on 15 acres, with most of the ground given to shared greens rather than roads. The share of open space has not been published, so ask the association or the seller for the site plan. Brochure images may be renders as planned by the developer, so compare them with what stands on the ground today.

A weekday could start with laps of the jogging track or a session in the gymnasium, then a swim in the infinity pool before work. The health centre is there for a check-up or recovery, and the outdoor courts take over once the heat drops. Weekends suit the golf greens, where you can practise putting without leaving home.

Children have their own play area, and the games room covers a rainy afternoon. The clubhouse and the party area host birthdays and gatherings, so the house itself stays calm. Herb gardens and landscaped gardens give the walks between homes some shade and scent.

Inside each villa, a private lift links the floors, which helps older parents. Before you buy, check that each facility is working and well kept, since a finished community is only as good as its upkeep.